


In the Golden Afternoon

by thislittlekumquat



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 14:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15244932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thislittlekumquat/pseuds/thislittlekumquat
Summary: Post-canon Sieglinde and Lizzie find themselves happy as can be with only occasional reminders of the lives they had when they first met.





	In the Golden Afternoon

“Sieglinde!” The name was uttered like the tinkling of a bell, ringing and ringing. Its owner turned to look at the door, her handbuilt array of metal legs clacking gently as she did so, shifting to accommodate her weight and momentum in perfect balance. The late afternoon sun caught on Elizabeth’s hair as she burst into the room, beeline for her dearest one only a matter of seconds before they were in each other’s arms.

Sieglinde laughed as her mechanical legs cranked more loudly, this time working to support the weight of two. She’d calibrated and re-calibrated them specifically for this regular occurrence, but she suspected Lizzie of delighting in finding ways to make her work for it, to beat the engineering with her affection.

“Oh, my dear, I’ve just come from a trip to Harrods, and I found the most delightful new tea set, as well as the absolute perfect ribbon to match my eyes.”

“Lizzie, I’ve told you, you look so much better in warm colors. Your eyes stand out better.”

A laugh like two glasses toasting, sudden and celebratory.

“No, silly Lindy, they match my eyes so that when you wear them, we’ll look splendid next to each other. For myself, I got the most gorgeous green to match your ey- oh, my!”

Sieglinde had pulled her face down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “You silly girl, I can’t wear blue!”

“You never know until you try! And I would remind you that in addition to neither of us being girls any longer, I am also a year older than you, thank you very much!”

She tried to pout, but Sieglinde’s laugh, lower and more intimate than her own, made her grin back. Her grin then became a shriek and another glittering laugh as Sieglinde shifted, hefting her whole weight into her arms and carrying her over to the chaise lounge so they could sit together.

Sieglinde had never regained proper use of her feet, but after living in a house with the Midfords for several years, it was an impossibility for her to have avoided physical training, and she had in fact rather taken to it, like a fish to water. Aside from her feet she was completely hale, and relished the strength that allowed her to do things like this, because being lifted by her diminutive lover never ceased to delight Lizzie, and Sieglinde would do anything to hear her laugh. The only time she really struggled was in her perpetual haste to get out of her array of metal limbs and onto some piece of furniture to be close to Lizzie, who never did things slowly or by halves.

She melted into the taller woman’s side, letting Lizzie fiddle with her hair, strands of which had come loose from a half-done attempt at pinning the whole heap back. Strong though she was, she was destined to be short, whereas Lizzie had grown taller than most ladies they knew.

“My goodness, I leave you alone for an afternoon, and you can’t even call Paula in to help you put your hair back. It’s so pretty, I would hate to see it get caught in something you’re doing. You hear such horror stories sometimes…”

She was silenced for but a moment by a quick kiss, and would not let that distract her. “Lindy, I’m absolutely serious, don’t try to play cute and get away from my nagging.” She pinched both of Sieglinde’s cheeks, and Sieglinde responded by grabbing at her sides and tickling. Lizzie let go of Sieglinde’s face and flailed like an ungainly swan at the attack.

They were still like that, breathless and tousled and laughing merrily, when Paula stepped into the doorway and rapped sharply on the frame. “You two, honestly. Miss Elizabeth, you really ought to know better than to muss your hair before an engagement, at your age.”

Sieglinde, still slightly out of breath, looked up at Lizzie’s hair and discovered that a few of the ringlets were indeed vaguely quashed. Only Paula and Lizzie could consider that ‘mussed’. She reached up and plumped them, rolling her eyes. “It’s nothing, Paula, dear, don’t be such a grousey matron. There! See? You look radiant as ever, Lizzie.”

Lizzie for her part smiled at Sieglinde, but was now distracted by the thoughts she’d been chasing away all day with merriment. Sieglinde took her face in her hands, delicately, not in jest, and forced her to make eye contact. “It’s been almost ten years, Lizby. This is just another pointless service. You don’t even need to go to them anymore.”

A hint more warmth touched her smile now as she looked down and put her hands over Sieglinde’s. “I know, but I probably will continue to go as long as they do. Are you tired? You don’t have to come, I don’t want to worry you.”

Sieglinde now chose to pinch her cheeks. “You horrible saint, I’m worried about you! Honestly, let’s just get this over with so we can come back and enjoy a quiet evening. Come, let me up, you can put my hair to rights, and then we’ll be off.”

And so they put themselves to rights, and were off, and returned, having paid their annual obeisance to the memory of the child who’d brought them together then passed from their reach, by means they still weren’t sure of, taking with him an era of mysterious circumstances and horrid uncertainty, and leaving them behind to grow old together.

**Author's Note:**

> This was extremely self-indulgent and short, I hope you enjoyed the sap!!! <3


End file.
